Because I Was Lonely by Hayley Mitchell #BlogTour @HayleyMitchellc @RedDoorBooks

Meet Rachel. She is caught in a spiral of endless crying, dirty nappies, and sleepless nights. She fears for her sanity and the safety of her children.

She's lonely.

Meet Adam. Suffering from the pain and trauma of a terrible accident that he blames himself for, he stays at home, unable to bring himself to leave the house.

He's lonely.

So when Rachel and Adam rekindle their long lost friendship online, what starts as a little harmless flirtation, soon becomes an unhealthy obsession, and slowly the threads of their lives unravel before them.

Four lonely people . Two unhappy marriages . One dangerous, but inevitable climax.

Because I Was Lonely by Hayley Mitchell is published in paperback by RedDoor Publishing on 2 March 2017 and is the author's debut novel.


Because I Was Lonely is certainly a book of two halves.  Initially, I struggled a little with the description of Rachel and her daily struggle with life, although so very well written, it's tireless and fairly depressing. However, as the author introduces the other characters in her story, I began to feel more comfortable, and it wasn't long before I was truly hooked by the plot.

Hayley Mitchell is a skilled author, she painstakingly and meticulously paints a picture of four people; two couples who are struggling within their relationships. Rachel and Adam are both victims of severe mental illness, although caused by and exacerbated by very different issues. It is difficult at times to like either of them, although it is simple to empathise with them. Their illnesses and the affect of these on their lives are described through their eyes, and those closes to them.

The second half of the story sees Rachel and Adam connect via Facebook, and for me, this was the most intriguing and compelling part of the story. It's tense and dangerous, heart-in-the-mouth sort of reading.

Hayley Mitchell is certainly an author to watch. This debut novel is accomplished and stylish, packed with characters who are realistic and believable. Her story is deftly plotted and explores themes of loneliness, relationships and the darkness that can overwhelm any of us.  Beautifully portrayed characters and twists and turns that will surprise and also delight the reader.

My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and invited me to take part in the Blog Tour.

Hayley Mitchell spends most of her time writing books in her head and was finally able to put finger to keyboard and capture some of the words in the form of her debut novel Because I Was Lonely.
A law graduate, she has spent most of her life working with people and much of her career as an advice worker for charities.  Always fascinated by people and their relationships, she began to write fiction.
She is very lucky to live in Wiltshire with her husband, whose support has been invaluable and their two children who amuse, inspire and exhaust her every day.
She now divides her time between her family, running a small business encouraging creativity in children and writing her second novel.
Find out more on her website
Find her Author page on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter @HayleyMitchellc

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